Limitless Word
While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.
Matthew 12:46 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
  • BSB While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him.
  • NKJV While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.
  • NASB While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.
  • NLT As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 24

  • Matt 13:55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?
  • John 2:12After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.
  • John 7:5For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.
  • Mark 3:31–35His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him.
  • John 7:3His brothers therefore said to him, “Depart from here, and go into Judea, that your disciples also may see your works which you do.
  • Luke 8:19–21His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd.
  • Mark 6:3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” They were offended at him.
  • Acts 1:14All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
  • Gal 1:19But of the other apostles I saw no one, except James, the Lord’s brother.
  • 1 Cor 9:5Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
  • Luke 2:48When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.”
  • John 7:10But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly, but as it were in secret.
  • Mark 2:21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made.
  • Luke 8:10He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest in parables; that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
  • Luke 2:33Joseph and his mother were marveling at the things which were spoken concerning him,
  • John 2:5His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it.”
  • Matt 2:20“Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.”
  • Luke 2:51And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
  • Matt 2:11They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
  • Matt 1:18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this; for after his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
  • Matt 2:13–14Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”
  • John 2:1The third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there.
  • Luke 1:43Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
  • John 19:25But there were standing by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 12:46YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 12:46 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.